Mission as Jesus saw it

For so dearly has God loved the world, that it has become our parish....

Yesterday I attended the first meeting of a “collaborative” of community leaders and citizens to look at the growing homelessness crisis here and brainstorm broad community solutions. I wish I could say that it was spirit of compassion that brought the group together but it was a response to the growing outcry of the churches, partnering with persons experiencing homelessness, that action be taken. Volunteers from churches number in the hundreds, and the building of community and mission inspires a thirst for community justice and social change. The artificial divide between “gospel” and “social action” breaks down rapidly and a larger discussion is encouraged – what to do when our neighbors are in trouble and the community is hurting?

One of the best results of mission activity is the elimination of the us-them world view. Doing mission brings fresh understanding to the Gospels which are full of stories of Jesus breaking custom, crossing barriers, ignoring prejudice and stereotype, and bridging the great gap of social and religious divide. How powerful are the Gospel stories of Samaritans, strangers, gentiles and other religions, Romans, homeless and other desperately poor, tax collectors, prostitutes, moral outcasts, all brought together in the presence of Jesus... often under withering criticism... all accepted for who they are and raised to new heights of their humanity by being loved unconditionally.. We are so used to hearing the story, have so romanticized the revolutionary message and not given our best energy to making Jesus the center of mission ... we can so easily miss the power of this radical (back to our roots) world-changing ministry of simple neighborhood, a parish in which all are welcome. The church has yet to plummet the full depth of what Jesus is teaching us.

Remarkably at the end of our “collaborative” meeting, clearly secular, was the request by church participants that we close with a prayer. It was not the formal kind of invocation or benediction, but a spontaneous response to a request at which everyone stood and we could feel the common desire to move to something higher. I know the struggle is ongoing and such a spirit of collaboration and unity can evaporate pretty fast – real change intends to come slowly in increments over time – but it is still a dazzling thing to witness the power of the Gospel shared in the community through the committed lives of persons of faith and faith communities. Powerful stuff when unleashed! Most memoralbe, when the chief of police was leaving he turned to me to comment, “I’m very glad for this meeting. Most people think law enforcement is the answer to the homeless problem, and I don’t know how to convince them that this isn’t true. A gathering like this is what we really need...” Maybe the secret is getting out: Jesus lives!